


Solace

by pugoata



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, just let them be soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-18 10:27:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21509557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pugoata/pseuds/pugoata
Summary: Edelgard could have died that day, when she'd been sent crashing into the cliffside. Unable to use the Divine Pulse to prevent it from happening, Byleth had never felt such panic. She didn't know what she would have done if Edelgard had died, but she was aware of how much it would have hurt.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 46
Kudos: 493





	Solace

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first foray into FE3H fic! Be gentle, I still don't really know what I'm doing.

It should have been a cut and dry mission. Quick, easy, and to the point. But there was nothing _cut and dry_ about this.

Especially the dry part.

Byleth ran a hand through her hair, trying to keep the wet strands out of her eyes. It was hard enough to see as it was. It had been merely cloudy when Edelgard had summoned the Black Eagle Strike Force to her early that afternoon.

_There are reports of a demonic beast by the cliffs to the north,_ she’d told them when they’d gathered in their former classroom. _It’s too close to the monastery for comfort, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. We can take it down easily._

And they had. Then, they took the second one down easily. Then the third. Then the fourth. Every time they defeated one, it felt like another would appear to take its place. By then, the ominous clouds of an early spring storm had descended, pelting them with icy rain. 

Byleth didn’t feel the cold. Most of them didn’t; they had been moving constantly since they’d left the monastery, and the battle had warmed their blood. It was only those who could afford to fight from afar, the ones who weren’t constantly running around the beast, that showed any signs of cold at all.

Bernadetta, for example.

Her teeth were chattering, and even in the darkness, Byleth could see the steam of her breath clouding in front of her. Bernadetta had spent much of the battle ducked behind an outcropping of rock, timing her shots carefully. She was soaked to the bone, and since she hadn’t moved as much as the rest of them, she had to be freezing. Still, she managed to pull herself together long enough to nock an arrow, draw it, and let loose. Though Byleth didn’t smile, she felt the smallest swell of pride at Bernadetta’s confidence. Pride, that her once-fearful student seemed to have found her confidence on a battlefield, yet there was also guilt. Guilt that she had not been there to see Bernadetta grow into the warrior she was today. 

The thought was only a brush against her mind, the smallest tickle. Byleth was too well-trained to lose herself to thought on the battlefield. She raised the Sword of the Creator, and charged at the beast.

She’d lost count of how many they’d fought off since they’d arrived. It was enough that even the most battle-hardened were reaching their limit. Dorothea’s long, dark locks hung limply around her face, briefly illuminated when she sent a flash of magic at the beast, The monster roared, rearing back angrily. When its legs came back down, they landed hard, thundering on the wet earth. Dorothea jumped back instinctively, but Byleth held her ground. She shook her head, trying to clear it of the cold rain that threatened to drip into her eyes, then lunged forward.

Lightning cracked across the sky. In the dark, it was hard to fully appreciate the size of the beast, but its silhouette against the lightning was something akin to a nightmare.

“On the left!” she heard Edelgard yell, and there was a flurry of red movement on the other side of the monster. By now, Byleth was familiar enough with the lashing of these beasts. She leaped back, anticipating the beast’s recoil as Edelgard swung her axe. There was another burst of lightning, but this time, it was from Dorothea, whose arms were spread before her as she aimed at the beast.

At least the creature was weakening. When Edelgard struck it again, it staggered.

With an exultant cry, Caspar ran toward its head, fists raised. He drove a thick gauntlet straight into the creature’s skull, pulling back just in time for the beast to rear again. The effort winded him; he’d started the battle with an air of almost manic excitement, but Byleth saw none of that anymore. He was exhausted, and wet, and cold, just as the rest of them were.

Some of their number had already pulled back in retreat. Ferdinand had needed Linhardt’s assistance to limp away from the battlefield, and Hubert had nearly exhausted his own powers. He hung back behind Edelgard, his eerie green eyes never leaving her, ready to spring up as a last stand should the tide turn against them. 

Even the Divine Pulse was of limited use during such a long battle. It had prevented Petra from being gored, though not completely unhurt; she had only been cut rather than disemboweled. Yet this power was running thin, and that knowledge was beginning to make Byleth uneasy. It had been her failsafe, and without it, she would be unable to stop the battle from turning deadly.

But this was the last of it, according to their scouts. This was the last beast they’d have to fight that evening.

Before the beast came back down, an arrow whizzed into the air, striking it in the throat. Like it might have been an annoying fly, the beast whipped its head back at forth, trying to shake it off. It only stopped its thrashing long enough to roar.

“Caspar! Now!” Byleth called, but he was already springing into action. He threw himself at the beast’s head again, driving one gauntleted fist into its eye.

The beast bellowed in pain, and began to flail. While the blow to the eye wasn’t enough to kill it, it was in enough agony to make its behavior erratic. Byleth jumped back, and she saw everyone else do the same. With a jerk of its head, it sent Caspar flying from its blinded eye, and he landed with a yelp into the cold mud.

What happened next was like watching something in slow-motion: the beast whipped around to its right, its spiked tail swinging around with it. Edelgard had backed away, but not far enough. The tail smacked her in the side, the force strong enough to send her crashing into the nearby cliffside.

She didn’t even have time to scream.

It felt like a stone had dropped into Byleth’s stomach, heavy and painful, as Edelgard’s skull hit the rock with a sickening _crack_. She heard Hubert screaming her name, but the sound had muted against the horrified buzzing of Byleth’s mind. If the blow had killed her...

Panic had been something Byleth had rarely felt before. The only other time she could remember that panic, in fact, had been the day her father had been killed. Blindly, she reached into herself, to pull at the Divine Pulse, but it was too weak. She had already stretched it too far in that battle. Just as she had been on the day her father had died, Byleth was helpless.

With a scream, she surged toward the beast, sword raised. It was easier to not think when she flew into a berserker rage, but it did nothing to soothe her taut, desperate nerves. Everything around her swam in shades of red and black, and she lost herself to it.

One slash, then another, her arm jarring with each unrestrained strike. A nearly-blinding burst of magic slammed right past her and into the beast, enough for Byleth to smell the sear of burning demon-flesh. She heard Dorothea’s shout, Petra’s hollered command, and the distant _twang_ of a bowstring. But Byleth didn’t stop swinging, not until the beast collapsed. 

“Are there anymore?” Dorothea panted, but Byleth was already sprinting toward Edelgard. Linhardt was already there, the air around them glowing with white light. Anxiously, Hubert hovered over them, though he periodically glanced up to make sure there was no more danger.

“She’ll be okay!” Linhardt assured them, though there was a quiver in his voice. It may have been weakness from overusing his skills, but Byleth suspected it was the cold that made him shake. He hadn’t had the heat of exertion or adrenaline to warm him up. “The hit didn’t kill her, and I think I healed the worst of it. She shouldn’t even be concussed. She’ll be fine.”

Byleth knelt beside her, eyes running over Edelgard’s limp form. As if not believing Linhardt, she pressed the pads of her numb fingers to the side of her throat, relieved at the flutter of Edelgard’s pulse.

“We need to get her back to the monastery,” Byleth found herself saying. She looked up, looking around to the rest of their group. Rainwater dripped down her face, colder than tears. “Are there any more?”

“That was seeming to be the last one,” Petra replied, staggering over with one of Dorothea’s arms slung around her shoulders. The other woman’s knees were buckling. “Caspar is doing a sweep.”

Byleth nodded, shaking her wet hair again before unfastening her cloak. “If all is clear, head back to the monastery. Get warm, and get rest.”

The inside of her cloak was mostly dry, and lined with her heat. She draped it over Edelgard’s body, then carefully slid her arms underneath her.

“What are you doing?” Hubert demanded as she lifted the Emperor into her arms.

“Getting her back,” Byleth replied simply. She shifted Edelgard slightly, cradling her head against her chest.

“Allow me,” he said, opening his arms, but she shook her head.

“I’ve got her.” She jutted her head toward a small outcropping of rock, where Linhardt had taken Ferdinand. “You help Linhardt.”

“But it would be best if I took her,” he urged. Nearby, someone coughed a sound that might have been a laugh.

“Hubie,” Dorothea said. Even though her voice was weak, there was light admonishment there. “Give the professor a little credit. She knows what she’s doing, and it’s too cold out here to argue any longer. And you know if Edie wanted anyone to help, it would be her.”

“But--” Hubert began, then shut his mouth. He gave a curt nod, then shot daggers at Byleth. His light green eyes seemed more snakelike than usual. “Fine. I suppose I don’t need to remind you of the consequences if any harm should come to her.”

“You are not trusting the professor?” Petra asked tiredly.

“You have my word,” Byleth replied, almost formally. Hubert was only worried; he would have heard the way Edelgard’s head had hit rock. Arguing with him like this would be pointless, and Edelgard had already started to shiver in her arms. “Everyone, return to the monastery and get dry.”

There were several murmurs of assent. Dorothea’s knees finally gave way, and Petra shifted her weight to catch her. Bernadetta, with a small squeal, pushed passed them, sprinting in the direction of the monastery, arms crossed tightly over her chest to keep her core warm. Caspar wasn’t far behind, stammering something about a hot bath.

Byleth didn’t wait to make sure Hubert and Linhardt were helping Ferdinand. She trusted her Black Eagles to help each other. Her own responsibility was too important to put off. She adjusted Edelgard for a better hold, making sure her cloak was wrapped securely around her.

Though it had troubled them that demon beasts had been so close to Garreg Mach, Byleth was grateful for its proximity now. While Edelgard herself was small, her battle attire was heavy and completely sodden. Rain trickled down Byleth’s bare arms now without her cloak, and she was covered in goosebumps. At least the weight, and the efforts of the long ascent to the monastery, were enough to keep Byleth from freezing completely.

It was a relief when she finally stepped into the dormitories. She shook her hair out as she trudged down the hallway, sending water splattering across the stone floor. As soon as she made it to Edelgard’s room, Byleth set her on the bed, over the thick blanket. Freed of the weight, she rolled her shoulders as she went back to close the door. Her joints cracked, and her wet clothes clung. Under normal circumstances, she would have wanted nothing more than to go to her own room, to curl up in bed and take a long nap.

But Edelgard was still out cold. Nervously, Byleth felt for her pulse again, as if she might have suddenly died on the walk to the dormitory. Feeling the strong pulse at her fingertips, Byleth blew out a sigh of relief. However, the relief only lasted a moment before she was suddenly awash with uncertainty. What now?

She wasn’t going to leave Edelgard, fully garbed in heavy wet clothes and chainmail. In her mercenary days, her father had always stressed the dangers of staying out in the cold for too long, or staying in wet clothes on chilly days. On a couple of occasions, Byleth had seen for herself when a mercenary hadn’t taken care of themselves during a rainstorm. She’d seen the glaze in their eyes as warmth was leached from their bodies, how their movements slowed and then ceased. It could be deadly.

“Edelgard?” she asked quietly. Without Byleth’s body heat, Edelgard began to shiver. “El?”

Edelgard’s shoulders twitched slightly. That had to be a good sign, Byleth thought. She was still unused to using the diminutive, though saying it aloud made her stomach flutter a little.

“El,” she said again, crouching at the bedside. She didn’t know if Edelgard could hear, but if she could, it would be better to talk her through it. “I’m going to get you out of your clothes. I don’t want you getting sick.”

Edelgard didn’t respond, but Byleth hadn’t really expected her to. With as much gentleness as she could muster, she worked at the clasp of Edelgard’s cloak. It was long and large, and the soaked fabric probably accounted for most of her weight. She tossed it to the floor with a heavy _slap_. Her gloves followed suit, and then the jacket and chainmail, at which Byleth finally paused. 

She’d never seen Edelgard wear anything but long sleeves and gloves, but she’d never really wondered _why_. She’d always assumed that Edelgard had been particular in the way she presented herself to others, as other nobles did. It had never occurred to her that she had been trying to hide anything.

Carefully, Byleth traced a finger along one of the crude, ropey scars on Edelgard’s forearm. The tissue itself was smooth with age, though it was a thick ridge against the rest of her skin. And there were so _many_. Her expression darkened as she suddenly recalled Edelgard’s words: _They violated our bodies by cutting open our very flesh_.

Byleth wrenched her eyes away from the scarred skin. It wasn’t her place to look.

She finished undressing her quickly, keeping her own cloak over her to preserve as much modesty and warmth as she could. It was hard to stay detached and clinical whenever her eyes grazed a particularly thick scar, but she couldn’t let herself dwell on them. It was in the past, she reminded herself. It was a past that Edelgard kept hidden from view, a past that she’d overcome. Byleth had no right to work herself up over them.

Edelgard’s fine white hair had gotten tangled in her crown, and Byleth tried to work out the knots as gently as she could. She winced when she knew she’d tugged a little too hard, when Edelgard’s brow furrowed at a particularly sharp pull. Byleth took heart in the sign of life as she set the horned crown on the bedside table. Out of its confines, Edelgard’s wet hair draped loosely across the pillow.

Like this, something about her seemed so different. She crouched again, trying to assess the difference, before it hit her. She wasn’t looking at the Emperor. She was looking at _Edelgard_ , the young woman she’d met five years ago, her ambitious pupil. Without her crown and her armor, she looked so small. This was no bringer of war, the destroyer of the church. 

This was El.

Unable to stop herself, Byleth reached a hand out, letting her fingers lightly graze her cheek. This skin was unscarred, and so soft. Edelgard grunted a little, shifting under the cloak.

Byleth drew her hand back like it’d been burned. She couldn’t get distracted. She’d get Edelgard into a nightgown and under the blankets, and then she would go back to her room and cocoon herself in her own bed. She set a hand on the mattress, pushing herself up, and--

Edelgard snapped a hand around Byleth’s wrist, holding fast.

“P-profess--” she mumbled, but the word died into a groan before she could finish it.

“Shhh,” Byleth replied quietly. “I just need to get--”

“Not… not now.” She watched the bob of Edelgard’s pale throat as she swallowed. “Just a… another minute.”

“You hit your head pretty hard,” Byleth told her, crouching again. She winced as her sore muscles protested the motion, before reaching a hand out to the wooden chair at the desk. Sitting would feel infinitely better than crouching, and she was just close enough to grab the back and pull it over without pulling her wrist from Edelgard’s grasp. “You need to get some rest.”

Edelgard made a small huff, and Byleth supposed it was a laugh.

“Always so… concerned,” Edelgard murmured. Her breathing deepened as she drifted away, into an unguarded sleep.

Yet even in sleep, she didn’t release her hold on Byleth’s wrist. Instead, her grip _tightened_. Byleth sighed, looking over her shoulder at the dresser. She didn’t want to disturb Edelgard again by tearing her hand away; perhaps she could afford to wait a minute before grabbing a nightgown. As gingerly as she could, she began to maneuver the blanket. With one hand, it was difficult to work it in the right direction, and it took several minutes of tugging and pushing before she managed to get it out from under Edelgard’s body. Leaving the cloak in place, Byleth pulled the blanket over her limp form. All that was left uncovered was her head and the hand that clenched around Byleth’s wrist.

If she had _truly_ needed to, Byleth could have jerked her hand away and left her alone beneath the covers. But there was something so sad, so desperate in the way Edelgard clung to her. She couldn’t-- _wouldn’t_ \-- just abandon her like this.

Instead, Byleth leaned to the side, against the wall. It wasn’t comfortable, but she’d survived worse nights of sleep. She was still a little cold in her damp clothes, but the room was warm enough. It would only be for a few minutes anyway, she reasoned. Edelgard couldn’t possibly hold on so tightly for so long.

Byleth closed her eyes. Only a few minutes...

\--

She awoke slightly disoriented. She was still in her chair, though she had slumped forward. Her head had landed face-down on the mattress, cushioned by her free arm, hair tumbling down and shielding her face. She blinked groggily as she lifted her head, trying to piece together where she was and why she was there.

Fingers clenched around her wrist, but Byleth almost didn’t even register the ache; the cold that had enveloped her had overwhelmed any other pain. She tilted her chin up, staring dumbly for a moment at Edelgard.

She was writhing beneath the blankets. It had slipped a little, baring a shoulder and a hint of collarbone, but Byleth was fixated on the expression that had broken across Edelgard’s face. It was an agonizing mix of terror and pain. She was muttering to herself, though the words were incomprehensible. Edelgard’s body twisted, and her hold on Byleth tightened.

“Edelgard?” she asked, pushing herself up and setting her free hand on Edelgard’s shoulder. Her skin was so warm compared to Byleth’s own fingers, and maybe it was that cold that jerked Edelgard awake.

She shot up, gasping. She looked lost as she looked around, slowly bringing the blanket up to cover her chest. In doing so, she let go-- _finally_ \-- of Byleth’s wrist.

“I…” she started to say, looking around at her room as if she didn’t recognize it. Her lilac eyes found Byleth, and only then did the wildness settle. She took a deep breath, then let it out in a shudder. “You’re… here.”

Byleth said nothing, only massaged her freed wrist absently. She felt so _cold_.

“Did you bring me up here?” Edelgard asked quietly, cheeks staining pink.

“It was either going to be me or Hubert,” Byleth replied with a shrug. At this, Edelgard managed a weak chuckle. 

“Well… then, thank you, my teacher.” She looked down, grimacing as she stared down at her arms, oddly self-conscious. “I… apologize. That you had to see me like this.”

“I’m just glad you’re all right.”

Edelgard’s face blossomed with color as she knotted the blanket in her fists. Looking away, Byleth rose. Her muscles ached and a chill tried to spread through her body, though she didn’t shiver.

“Professor?”

Byleth stopped, turning toward Edelgard again, only to avert her eyes from her scarred skin. “Yes?”

Silence descended, though Byleth didn’t move. Edelgard was the kind of woman who was so precise in her words, and she knew that she was carefully sorting through them, trying to decide how best to say what she was thinking. So Byleth waited, fighting back the chill.

“I… told you once, long ago, that I was subjected to… procedures, for the sake of power,” Edelgard said at last. She turned one bare arm over, staring at the marred flesh. She looked up at Byleth, lips quirking in a humorless smile. “It’s rather distasteful, isn’t it?”

Byleth swallowed, but neither agreed nor disagreed. Edelgard sighed, eyes falling back into her lap.

“Not even Hubert knows the full extent of it,” she added, splaying out her fingers and closing her fist. Even her hand was marked by uneven crosses. “It was never my intention for anyone to see this. The last thing I need from anyone is misplaced sympathy, or fear that I am the monster that Rhea would have them believe. As Emperor, they need to see me as untouchable. Unyielding. Unbreakable.”

“I had no intention of telling anyone,” Byleth replied quietly.

“I know.” Edelgard looked back up, meeting her eyes. “Which is the strangest part about all of this, isn’t it? I’ve told you so many things about myself… about my past… and you have never betrayed any of it. You alone know that I’m anything _but_ unbreakable, and now you’ve seen it with your own eyes.” She slumped a little, pressing a hand against her temple. 

“Are you all right?” Byleth asked, immediately coming back to sit on the side of the bed. She looked deep into those violet eyes, searching for any sign of concussion or weakness. Edelgard took a deep breath, then nodded.

“Only a headache,” she replied, closing her eyes. “It’s like I hit my head.”

“You did.” Somehow, Byleth managed a small smile. “Quite hard, in fact.”

“That would explain it,” Edelgard said, chuckling. She opened her eyes again, and Byleth couldn’t break the eye contact. Not to stand, not to excuse herself, not to fetch Edelgard’s nightgown. 

She was ensnared by that gaze.

“Even knowing all of this about me,” Edelgard continued, voice softer, “you’ve chosen to stay by my side. You’ve never shown any doubt in me, not even in private. And even now, after seeing the way I am...” She paused. “You have never given me any reason to fear, and yet, I was still… afraid. That when you saw what I looked like...”

Gently, Byleth reached out, the pads of her fingers trailing along Edelgard’s jaw. It shocked her into silence.

“It would take more than scars to make me see you any differently… El.”

She said the name shyly. It was one thing to say it to an unconscious Edelgard, but quite another to say it to her when she was awake. She couldn’t stop the nervous lick of her lips, the way her eyes flickered to the side.

“You… called me El…” She stared at Byleth for a long moment, momentarily stunned, before shivering. “Your fingers are so cold. And… you’re so pale...”

Byleth was almost disappointed at how quickly Edelgard had gone from touched to worried, but it was only a momentary disappointment, for Edelgard pressed her whole palm against Byleth’s cheek. Her body started to buzz, and Byleth knew that if she had a heartbeat, hers would be racing.

“You’re freezing!” With surprising speed for someone so recently injured, Edelgard shifted, letting the blanket fall as she moved. Modesty was apparently forgotten, but Byleth was dimly aware that for Edelgard, modesty had concerned her scars more than her skin. “Here. Sit with me.”

Maybe it spoke to just how cold she was that Byleth didn’t argue. She stood, letting Edelgard pull the blanket out from where she’d been sitting.

“I know it’s a little tight, but if you were sitting there in damp clothes…” Edelgard shook her head in dismay. “If you really wanted to sit with me, you should have gone to change first.”

It was hard to relax, and Byleth sat stiffly while Edelgard pulled the blanket over them. Edelgard’s residual body heat _did_ feel nice, as did the non-residual. Her warmth at Byleth’s side felt intensely good, and she shivered.

“I was planning to,” she admitted. “I was going to get you dressed, too.”

She smiled a little, slightly embarrassed, before shivering again. In Edelgard’s warmth, her body had realized just how cold it was, and was making up for it by shaking almost violently.

“Are you okay?” Edelgard asked, sounding truly concerned. She wrapped one arm around Byleth’s shoulders, pulling her in for more warmth. It felt strange, to be held like this, but the touch wasn’t unwelcome. It felt… _nice_.

“I will be,” Byleth replied, somehow keeping the tremble out of her voice. She was surprised at its steadiness. “It probably _would_ have been wiser to change into something dry first. I just…” She hesitated. “I was a little worried, I guess.”

“Worried?”

“I saw your head crack against a rock,” Byleth told her dryly. Edelgard flushed.

“I’m fine now,” she pointed out.

“I know,” Byleth sighed, further sinking into Edelgard’s frame. “It was just… watching it happen…”

Edelgard’s arm tightened around her by the barest amount, and maybe that was why Byleth continued to speak. There was something so disarming about sitting beside Edelgard in her bed, tucked into her blanket, and being held in such a way. It made it easier for her tongue to loosen.

“Do you remember, all those years ago? When my father died?” Byleth asked. It didn’t feel like years to her and in a way, it hadn’t been. It felt like something that had happened only yesterday, but also a lifetime ago. A persistent ache, yet still so raw. Edelgard nodded.

“I do.”

“I’d never felt so much fear… so much grief…” Byleth murmured. “I’d thought that no feeling could ever be worse than what I felt that day.”

“I’d never seen you cry before,” Edelgard said softly. Byleth bowed her head.

“When you got hurt…” she went on, then paused. She swallowed against a hard lump in her throat. “That same feeling…”

Underneath the blanket, Edelgard took her hand and squeezed it gently.

“I was afraid,” Byleth admitted. “That the past was repeating itself. With you.” She drew in a deep breath, then looked up into Edelgard’s eyes. They were soft with understanding. “I don’t know what I would have done if you’d been killed, but in that moment, I knew how it would feel. And I can’t tell you how much it hurt.”

“Oh, my teacher.” Edelgard lifted a scarred hand, then halted as she considered. It shook slightly, but she ran her fingers into a lock of green hair that had fallen into Byleth’s face.

“You are… very precious to me, El,” Byleth added, her voice barely above a whisper. “I am… so happy that I didn’t lose you today.”

She couldn’t remember anyone touching her hair like this before. Her breath caught in her throat as Edelgard twined it around her fingers, then slowly combing through it. Never had Byleth been so aware of her own skin, her own breath. She almost didn’t even let herself blink, enraptured by the gentleness of Edelgard’s expression.

“Is it selfish, to be glad you stayed with me?” Edelgard asked, lip curling in the smallest smile.

With one miniscule jerk, Byleth shook her head, not wanting the movement to discourage Edelgard from stroking her hair.

“Good,” she murmured, leaning closer, resting her forehead against Byleth’s. “Because I am. You mean more to me than I could ever put into words. I can’t imagine not having you by my side. You are...”

There wasn’t much of a gap between them by the time Edelgard’s words died away uselessly. The way her lips caught against Byleth’s felt so natural, so easy. And they were so _soft_ , Byleth thought wonderingly, tilting into the kiss. She closed her eyes, savoring the warmth. The cold was little more than a memory against the heat of Edelgard’s lips.

She wasn’t sure which one of them broke the kiss off first, but Byleth had almost forgotten that she needed to breathe. She tripped over an inhale, though she was relieved to see that she wasn’t the only one. Edelgard drew in a small gasp, her cheeks pink.

“Are you all right?” Byleth asked, suddenly remembering the injury and fearing that she’d overstepped. “I--”

But Edelgard cut her off, cupping her cheeks to kiss her again. 

Byleth felt slightly dazed as they sank into the bed, drawing the blanket up to their chins. The bed was small, but neither complained; they wriggled against each other, not leaving any space between their bodies. On Edelgard’s only pillow, they rested their heads, pressing their foreheads together.

For a while, neither of them spoke, content in their sleepy silence. Rain pattered against the window, a pleasant sound now that neither of them were outside. It was perfect weather for curling up beneath the blankets, snuggled into a warm body. Tenderly, Byleth tucked a strand of white hair behind Edelgard’s ear.

“Have you still been having those dreams?” she asked at last. It was a silly question; Byleth had seen her discomfort while sleeping, evidence enough of her nightmares. Edelgard sighed.

“Yes.” A pause. “If anything, they’ve gotten worse.”

“The stresses of war? Of running an empire?” Byleth guessed. Edelgard shrugged, the blanket slipping slightly with the movement, revealing a shoulder.

“Possibly. Although, after you disappeared…” Her cheeks darkened prettily. “They were especially terrible.”

“I’m so sorry,” Byleth murmured, but Edelgard shook her head, the movement gentle against Byleth’s forehead..

“Don’t be,” she said firmly. “None of what happened was your fault, teacher.”

“Byleth.”

“Pardon?”

“You may call me Byleth, you know.” She couldn’t help a small smile at Edelgard’s look of pure surprise.

“Byleth…” Edelgard repeated, tasting the name on her tongue. Maybe it felt as new and thrilling for her as saying _El_ was for Byleth. Edelgard smiled weakly. “You _are_ more than just a teacher to me now,” she agreed.

Byleth slid an arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

“Do you want to know something?” Edelgard asked, her smiling growing by the barest fraction. Byleth cocked her head questioningly. “With you here… my dreams weren’t as bad as they were before.”

“They weren’t?” Byleth raised an eyebrow. It had looked pretty bad from her standpoint, but then again, she had nothing to compare it to.

“No.” She chuckled. “I’m told that I scream in my sleep, sometimes. I’d wake up in a cold sweat, and have no idea where I was. Even now, since you’ve returned to us, there’s always a moment after I wake up that I fear you’re still gone, and every time, it’s terrifying.”

“El…”

“But not now,” she said firmly, eyes alight with resolve. “Tonight, even in my dream, I knew you were near. It was like… I _sensed_ it.”

Byleth thought of the way Edelgard had seized her wrist, how she had clung to it. It was for comfort, she realized. It was _protection_. Instinctively, she tightened her hold around Edelgard’s waist, caressing the scarred skin of her back, to draw her closer. Even this detached, guarded Emperor wasn’t above the need for comfort, and Byleth was almost overcome by her desire to be the person who could provide that. Gently, she pressed a kiss to Edelgard’s forehead.

“Then I will stay near,” Byleth murmured. “For as long as you’ll have me.”

“Yes,” Edelgard replied, just as soft. She stared at Byleth, relief written all over her face. “I would… like that. Very much.”

She kissed Byleth again, a sweet brushing of lips, before burying her face in the crook of her neck. Byleth continued to stroke her back, nails scratching lightly across the bare skin. It wasn’t the kind of action she’d ever done before, but it was instinct. It was _right_. Edelgard sighed contentedly, her breath warm against her neck.

“Then let’s get some rest,” Byleth said. “We could both use it.”

“Yes.” She felt Edelgard’s lips curl into a smile. “I’ve never looked forward to going to sleep before. But with you… I think I could learn to.”

_She could learn to_. It implied a future, of coming together again, of hope that the nightmares would fade. She was handing Byleth her solitude, exchanging it for her trust.

It was a beautiful gift.

“I’ll help you,” Byleth said. She pressed her lips to the top of Edelgard’s head, inhaling her sweet scent. “In any way I can.”

“I know you will.” Byleth felt the curve of Edelgard’s smile on her neck. “You always do.”

“Good night, my dearest El.”

“Sleep well, my teacher… Byleth.”

Byleth closed her eyes, hand still absently trailing up Edelgard’s spine, content to cradle her in the frame of her body. Slowly, Edelgard’s breathing began to lengthen, the rise and fall of her chest deepening as sleep claimed her.

Peace, Byleth thought as she drifted into a sleep of her own. So _this_ was what it felt like.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm still very new to this universe, and I can only hope I'm doing it SOME justice. I'll hopefully write a little more in the future for this ship (I'm fond of AUs), but we'll see! Comments are always appreciated!
> 
> Tumblr: [@pugoata](https://pugoata.tumblr.com/)  
> Twitter:[@pugoata](https://twitter.com/pugoata)  
> 


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